It is generally known that even if a golf ball is struck with a “perfect robot” (or any other form of precision mechanism) on a “perfect striking surface,” there may still be significant variation in the resulting ball-direction. Such variation may be caused by spherical asymmetry in the mass and/or shape of the ball or by surface irregularities on the golf club or ball—for example, the dimpled-surface pattern of a golf ball. The dimpled pattern is an inherent part of golf-ball design and is provided to enhance aerodynamic performance. Because of the dimpled-surface design, the resulting trajectory of the ball after being struck by the golf club may depend on local surface features of the ball. The force imparted on the ball may not be along a direction normal to the generally spherical ball shape—instead, the trajectory may be influenced by the local high and low points on the surface of the ball. For example, during the course of club stroke, the dimple on the ball may cause the ball to slide across the generally smooth face of the club, imparting “spin” (rotation) on the ball, which may or may not be desirable. When hitting an approach shot to the green, for instance, a golfer may wish to put spin on the ball to better control the ball upon its impact with the green surface. On the other hand, spin may be less desirable when a golfer is putting, for example, and precise control of the ball's trajectory off the striking surface is necessary. Thus, it may be advantageous to provide a system for reducing the amount of rotation imparted to a golf ball. While a variety of improvements to golf equipment have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventor(s) has made or used an invention as described herein.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.